Conference Roundup: SCBWI Florida 2022 Conference Report

On May 23, 2022May 23, 2022 By Only Picture BooksIn Conference Roundups4 Comments

Normally, the third Monday of the month means an Industry Insider Interview, which is me doing a deep dive into the career of a single editor, agent, or other picture book industry person. But since I just got back from the rousing success that was the May 2022 SCBWI Florida conference in Orlando, I’m instead creating a new OPB feature–a Conference Roundup–since I want to share some of the best nuggets of industry wisdom that I jotted down during my three days there. Some comes from agents, some comes from editors, some comes from authors, and some comes from illustrators–but it’s ALL good.

To help give you a sense of what it was like to be there, I’ll include a few photos, as appropriate.

**Everything listed below came directly from my scribbled notes. Any mistakes or misunderstandings are likely mine. If you’re one of the folks I quoted below and you’d like me to amend my quote, please just let me know!**

Bruce Coville, author of My Teacher Is an Alien

“In the words of Winston Churchill to the people of England during WWII, never give up, never give up, never, never, never give up.”

“One of the most pernicious ideas that spreads in American culture is the meme of the starving artist. You can only do good work when you have to type in the cold with little fingerless gloves–there’s a reason for this idea. It’s culturally useful. Artists who are doing their job right are dangerous. And the whole point of the meme of the starving artist is to keep us unequal, less able to do our important, life-changing work. Whether it’s good or bad, it’s supposed to make you think. There’s nothing the dominant culture wants less than people who think, because you can’t think without knowing if you need to change. Teachers have this horrible dual obligation. They’re supposed to maintain the status quo AND teach kids. You can’t do both. They are mutually exclusive. If these people learn to think, they’re going to think about all the stuff that’s going on that’s wrong. But our job as artists is to lead kids to think by the stories we give.”

Brett Duquette, Executive Editor of Little Bee Books

“Revising can be hard. One idea is to take it like a cake in layers. Don’t try and do everything at the same time. Because if you’re like me, all you’ll do is just work on making verbs and nouns prettier. Have a language layer or a plot layer or a character layer. It might help to think about it like you’re painting.”

“When I was younger, my brother gave me a photo of myself as a baby and said, Would you be mean to that person? So, if you’re hard on yourself, look at a photo of yourself as a child, and remember that you deserve love. Be gentle to yourself.”

Sophia Gholz, author of Bug on a Rug

“I love to cross promote between a school and a bookstore…I’ll call up a store in a nearby city. I’m Sophia Gholz. I’m a children’s book author. I’m going to possibly do some local school events. I would love to do a book signing, or just stop by and say hello and maybe sign some stock. If they say yes, follow up with an email that says, ‘Do you guys have any local schools that in particular you’ve worked with, or that you recommend I reach out to?’ Sometimes they’ll put you in contact with the school, but sometimes I’ll find a local school nearby myself. Hey, I’m Sophia Gholz. I’ve already spoken to this local bookstore, I would love to come in while I’m in town, and do a school visit or two. I’d love to present to your kids. And while I’m there, you know that I’ve already spoken to so-and-so bookstore and they’re happy to support and supply books for the school visit. The school is going to love this, and the bookstore is going to love you coming in, too.”

“Myth number five is that authors must be present on social media. Authors do NOT have to be present on social media. In fact, I know some authors who have walked away because it was toxic–Twitter, specifically, but sometimes all social media. Yet their publisher said, We would like you to be back on at least Twitter and Instagram. So, I’d say Twitter and Instagram are pretty important. Personally, I think social media is a big deal. Do you HAVE to be on it? No, but you can have a presence on all the platforms and not be active. Still, I think having a presence is vital because that’s the first way people are going to look you up these days. So, even if you just have a page with a link to your website, I think it’s important to at least have a presence. That being said, I think it’s important to engage.”

Aneeka Kalia, Associate Editor @ Viking Children’s Books

“Be patient, be persistent, and be kind to yourself.”

Rajani LaRocca, author of Red, White, and Whole

“Be open to new ideas but also to input.”

“Joy McCullough was my mentor, and she gave me an amazing edit letter [on Midsummer’s Mayhem]. She loved my book, but her big suggestion was to get rid of a main character…I was so terrified. But I started two revisions, one with him, one without him. Three chapters in, I was like, He’s got to go. And once more, I rewrote the book that took me three years to write…in the end, I had four agent offers, and I chose Brent Taylor.”

Laurent Linn, Author and Art Director at Simon & Schuster

“Be true to your purpose. Because your purpose is one of the few things in life that you control.”

“Be honest with your readers or readers who aren’t reading yet…no matter what their age or stage of development.”

Jacqui Lipton, owner of Raven Quill Literary Agency

“Be professional. It’s so easy to get angry with agents and editors in the industry, and then go out on Twitter and do crazy things. Do that in the privacy of your own thoughts.”

If you like what Jacqui has to say, you’re in luck–she’s the subject of the June 2022 Insider Interview!

Pat Zietlow Miller, author of Be Strong

“Read books by people with different life experiences than yours.”

“Support other authors no matter where they are in their journey.”

“Finding time [to write] was actually the hardest one for me. When I started, I had a full-time corporate job, I had two kids at home, and I wanted to see them before school, after school, and on weekends. So, the time that was left was after they were in bed, because I wasn’t going to not see my kids. Something else had to go. For me, no television, less exercising, less socializing, less sleeping…I’ve heard Kate DiCamillo talk, and before she became KATE DICAMILLO, she got up at an extremely early hour and wrote before she went to her day job. That would never work for me. I’m not a morning person–can’t do it. But I could do late at night. I know authors who write entire novels in little bits and pieces of time. While they’re in the carpool line waiting to pick up the kids or while they’re freezing in the bleachers while watching their kids practice hockey.”

If you want to hear more from Pat, you’re in luck. Pat will be the subject of our June 2022 Author Interview. Watch for it in a few weeks!

Dan Santat, author/illustrator of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend

“Cultivate a sense of taste. Look into all things–movies, music, books. Find out why something is good, why something is bad. If something isn’t to your taste or your liking, find out why other people like it. Because when you’re editing your own work, and you’re asking yourself Is this good? you can base that off of the knowledge gained from other things. The other one is always continue to grow. You can never settle. I’ve been in this business for 18 years. And over time, if you do the same things over and over again, the process gets stale. So, always evolve. Don’t be afraid to change.”

“When I first wrote my first book, I had a perception in my mind of what being a child was like, but it didn’t match what children actually were thinking. What happens is that when you get older, you have this really polished, idealized view of what your childhood was like. And then when you actually see kids, it’s messy, it’s chaotic. But that’s the true way kids are–you have to really get yourself into that mindset.”

“I don’t create a character and then write a story. I create a concept, and then I find a character that creates the biggest conflict to that concept. So, create a character that best reflects the idea you want to express. Let’s say you have a story about needing to be quicker, or that things must be done quickly. A turtle would be the greatest adversary to something like that. Being messy, or a story about neatness? A garbage truck would be a great character that has to deal with that issue. Falling? Humpty Dumpty. It’s sad, but if I just say Humpty Dumpty, the first thing you think of is the fall, right?”

Taryn Souders, author of Dead Possums Are Fair Game

“[At school visits], it’s really cute because you are their favorite author that day. And they will say You’ve been my favorite author my whole life! and I’ve even gone to them and asked, Really? Which one of my books is your favorite? And they’ll say, I haven’t read any of them yet. So, you’re going to be their favorite whether they’ve heard of you or not. And it’s great. You’ll never leave a school visit feeling deflated.”

“You definitely want to make sure that you are practicing in a mirror. It’s so cliché, I know it. But you’re going to think you’re making a really friendly expression and you’re actually terrifying or something. So you want to look in a mirror. Make sure that whatever expression you’re making throughout your presentation, it’s engaging and portrays, Hey, I’m fun, I’m safe!”

Jennifer Swanson, author of Footprints Across the Planet

“Find a critique group and get them to tell you stuff. But listen–your job is to tell the story correctly. If they don’t get it, you didn’t do your job right.”

“For those of you that don’t know, educational publishing, is typically work for hire, which means they give you a flat fee, you get no royalties, and they come up with ideas. They tell you what to write. Trade publishing, of course, is royalties with an advance, and you come up with an idea. So, there’s a difference between the two. But if you want to get into nonfiction, a really great place to start is educational publishing.”

Joyce Sweeney, literary agent at The Seymour Agency

“Go ahead and feel the sorrow when something bad happens in your career, then get back up and say, Okay, well, what can I do now? What’s the next thing?”

Educational Activities: Eggasaurus by Jennifer Wagh

On May 16, 2022May 16, 2022 By Only Picture BooksIn Educational Activities

Eggasaurus
Authors: Jennifer Wagh
Illustrator: Hallie Bateman
26 April 2022
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
40 pages

Book description from Goodreads: “In this funny and winsome epistolary picture book, a young boy who orders a dinosaur egg ends up with more than he—or his dad—bargained for!

All Maximus wants is a pet dinosaur—is that really too much to ask? But when his dad tells him he must send the egg back to where it came from, a mysterious company called Eggasaurus, Inc, a hiccup in communication leads to Max getting more…and more…and MORE eggs! Can he and his dad find a compromise before the eggs hatch and the baby dinosaurs take over their home?”

Educational Activities inspired by Jennifer Wagh’s Eggasaurus:

Before Reading–From looking at the front and back cover:
- What do you think this story will be about?
- What is the child doing on the front cover?
- What emotion is that child feeling?
- Who is the other person with that child?
- What is the child doing on the back cover?
- How are the two images of the child the same? How are they different?
- Does what’s inside the box really look fragile?
After Reading–Now that you’ve read the story:
- The story is told entirely through an exchange of letters. Which letter and its accompanying illustration did you like the best? Why?
- Have you ever had to ask for a refund before? Did it work out?
- What actions did Maximus take to show responsibility for the eggs and the dinosaurs in the story?
- How did the dad’s feelings about the eggs and the dinosaurs change throughout the book?
- In the final letter, there’s a special delivery mentioned. What do you think it’ll be?
Writing–The story is told through an exchange of letters between Maximus and the company Eggasaurus, Inc. The book ends with a letter from Eggasaurus, Inc. that provides him with a certificate to run an official Dinosaur Day Care. Help out Maximus by writing a letter that’s his reply to Eggasaurus, Inc. Consider using colored pencils or crayons to create pictures of the Dinosaur Day Care to go with your letter.
Crafting–Since dinosaurs hatch, chomp, and romp throughout the story, let’s create some fun dino crafts. Ask an adult for help, just to be on the safe side:
- Dino Feet: Have an adult help with the scissors and then get ready to do some stomping!
- Edible Dino Eggs: All this crafting makes dinosaurs hungry, so stir up a batch of these yummy dino eggs!
- Paper Dinosaur Hat: Every good dino needs spikes down its back, so work with an adult to cut out triangles, or design your own style spikes for this cool dinosaur hat.
- Papier-Mâché Dinosaur Eggs: Decorate your egg however you want since every dino egg is unique!
- Pterodactyl Eggs in a Nest: Make certain no one has food allergies before making this edible craft (it has peanut butter)!
Imagining–Many dinosaurs have long, interesting names. Here’s a short classroom-friendly video that shares the names of many popular dinosaurs. Now use your imagination to invent your own dinosaur name by filling in the blanks below:
- If I could create any type of dinosaur, I would create a (herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore) _____________.
- My dinosaur looks like _______________.
- For fun, my dinosaur likes to_______________.
- So, I would name my dinosaur ______________.
Further Reading–Are you enjoying spending time with dinosaurs? Learn more about real and imaginary dinosaurs by reading these exciting books. Which of these have you already read? Which of the others would you want to read first? (Click on any book cover for more information on these titles!)

Joshua Walls is a children’s author and travel writer who isn’t afraid to fuse, challenge, or deconstruct genres in the pursuit of creating compelling stories. Currently, he lives in Sarasota, FL where he’s pursuing a BFA in Creative Writing at Ringling College of Art and Design. He’s also the co-founder and co-host of the Fluff It podcast.

Author Interview: Kaitlyn Wells

On May 9, 2022August 7, 2023 By Only Picture BooksIn Author Interviews

This month’s picture book author is yet another journalist—we’ve got quite a surprising streak going here! Welcome to Kaitlyn Wells, an award-winning journalist whose work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, among others. Since she’s an expert on diverse literature, you can readily find her writing about that at The New York Times Book Review, BookPage, and Diverse Kids Books.

She’s not here for those things, impressive as they are. She’s here because her debut picture book, A Family Looks Like Love, arrives on May 31, 2022. We’ll talk about that in a moment for sure.

Kaitlyn lives in New York City with her “wonderful husband, rambunctious dog, and demanding cat.” She’s also active on social media, so let me share those links before getting to the interview. Lastly, she’s got a great newsletter for people who want to explore how Black, Indigenous, and womxn of color navigate the world.

RVC: In terms of your work as a journalist, you mention service journalism as an area of interest/focus. What does that mean to you?

KW: Being a service journalist is putting the reader first. I’m here to answer questions that people have about products or services. It’s teaching them how they can do things better or make their lives easier. That’s why I really like working in that type of medium–I get to help people better understand what’s going on in the world around them, and ultimately help them make better decisions for themselves and for their families.

RVC: Where did the interest in journalism come from?

KW: I’ve always been interested in journalism. I’ve always loved writing. I was that kid in grade school who was on the student newspaper, yearbook club, and all that. So, my trajectory was pretty normal. I got into nonprofit work for a little bit but I really wanted to get back into journalism as an adult. That’s why I pursued a graduate degree at Columbia University. I figured that was the right next step for someone like me who wanted to move to New York and try to make it in East Coast media.

RVC: How did it go for you there?

KW: Columbia was definitely not a cakewalk. It was a challenge. The curriculum was really rigorous. And I loved it. It was a fantastic learning experience. I made a lot of great connections, and it really helped me push my skill set further. I think that’s something that’s helped me be successful in my career. But I will admit grad school isn’t for everyone and it’s incredibly cost prohibitive. So, think it through carefully before you commit to a program.

RVC: What’s one of the most important things that you learned in that master’s program?

KW: Tough question. Probably the most important thing would be to believe in yourself. You’re surrounded by a lot of other people in your program who are just as talented as you, if not more so, and some of them have had access to more resources than you. And that’s okay. The competition can get quite fierce. So, it’s really important to trust yourself, do good work, and hopefully change the world for the better.

RVC: It’s impossible to look at your website without understanding that you have a profound interest in pets.

KW: I’ve always loved pets growing up. I’ve always had pets. I’ve been working with animal shelters since I was in high school. So, when a job opened up working at The New York Times’ Wirecutter as a pets writer, I jumped at the opportunity. They believed I had the right mix of experience and passion to do the job, so I’ve been working in service journalism at the intersection of technology and pets for the last several years. That led to the development of my first book that’s coming out as well.

RVC: We’ll talk about that book at length in just a moment. First, I’m curious about some of the talks you regularly give, such as the one on how to help writers emotionally connect with readers.

KW: It’s extremely valuable to learn how to get to the heart of what you want to say in your story, when you’re trying to make that emotional connection with the reader and with your character. Something I like to implement is called the heart mapping method, where you take a sheet of paper, draw a big heart in the center, and spend 15 to 30 minutes reflecting on what it was like growing up. I like to do this with every new manuscript–with it, I can really hone in on the theme of my story.

If you don’t know where to start, you can just do basic childhood memories.

Who were you at your core?
What was at the center of your heart?
What did you value the most as a kid?
What things did you like as a child?
What experiences will you never forget?
What happy or sad memories do you have?

But it’s more than that–it’s getting really specific, nailing down people, places, and memories, and then getting as detailed as you can. Once you have those details, those little nuggets of information can be threaded throughout your manuscript to breathe life into the characters that you’re trying to portray on the page. It can take a lot of work to do heart mapping the right way. Digging into your memories can be emotional. It can be draining or even traumatic for some people. But I think the more that you work at it, the better you get a sense of how you want a story to progress.

RVC: Is this something that you developed in or used in your journalist work? Or is it something that is particular to the world of kid literature?

KW: There are definitely some influences when it comes to journalism, particularly when you’re writing profiles, for example, because you want to be able to get across the people–or the places–that you’re writing about. It’s learning to use every descriptive tool in your toolkit. Some of that transfers into learning how to be a strong writer for kidlit as well, especially when you’re talking about emotions. Since journalism isn’t straight creative writing, I get to do more of that now with picture books.

RVC: You made a serious commitment toward the world of journalism and found a lot of success there. When did you decide to start to branch out into the role of kid literature?

KW: It wasn’t until a few years ago that I got serious about exploring kidlit. Like a lot of kidlit writers, I’ve always liked writing down ideas and telling stories to myself and others. But there came a time where I decided I’m still not seeing books out there that are really representative of the world that I live in. Or portraying people who look like me as well. So, I thought, Okay, I’ve got a story to tell. I would love to be able to tell it. Ultimately, I decided it’s time to commit. It really helped myself grow creatively in a way that traditional journalism hasn’t allowed me to yet.

RVC: I get the sense that A Family Looks Like Love comes from a place deep within you. What’s the story behind this story?

KW: It’s a picture book about a dog who looks different from her doggy siblings. She looks different from the other animals in the neighborhood, too. These other animals tell her that they’re not really her family because they don’t match. She begins to internalize those feelings a lot and tries to change the way that she looks.

For me, that’s very personal because that’s some of what I went through growing up. My mom is white and my dad is Black, and I’m biracial. I spent most of my life surrounded by people who told me “That can’t possibly be your mom!” or “That’s not your dad! He’s nothing like you.” I’ve also been told by my extended family that I don’t belong just because of my skin color.

RVC: Wow.

KW: In processing those emotions, I found it was a tad easier to channel those experiences through the eyes of a dog. The inspiration for the book is my own dog, who actually doesn’t look like her real-life dog parents either. She’s a tricolor pup while her siblings in real life are blond, scruffy haired dogs. She’s also a dog that just loves everybody around her–she’s never met a stranger in her life.

It was easier for me to tell this story from the perspective of my dog going through a similar experience because as I said before, mining your heart, your emotional center, can be draining. It can bring up a lot of things that you don’t want to relive. So, that made it more accessible in my eyes. I think it also makes it more accessible for families who are still grappling with colorism or white supremacy, and they aren’t sure how to discuss race and might be turned off by the idea of reading it from a human perspective.

RVC: It strikes me that editing and revising a heart book like that is probably more challenging than with other books. One of the presentations you give is on self-editing, right? Did you have a hard time following your own advice?

KW: There were challenges editing this piece, especially when it came to revision before it went on submission because I wanted to tell the story in a respectful way. It was also one of the first manuscripts I worked on. So, there was definitely a huge learning curve for me. While in journalism you have to learn to write tight, clean sentences, it’s nothing compared to what you do in the kidlit community, especially for picture books because on average you only get 500 words to tell a story. And it still needs to be compelling and at the right reading level for a younger audience. That has its own set of challenges. It was great to work those muscles and figure out my stories from that perspective.

The biggest challenge with editing the book was that I had a particular way I wanted to portray certain characters. But when I got together with critique partners they would say, “Actually, I think it’d be better if you switch this character out for something else,” or “adjust that phrasing you have there,” or “I think it’s a little too harsh so let’s soften it up a bit for a younger audience.” That was a nice, albeit sometimes frustrating, learning experience for me.

RVC: What do you most appreciate or enjoy about Sawyer’s artwork?

KW: I love the joy that Sawyer brings to the story. Honestly, she did a beautiful job with the illustrations, and I’m eternally grateful. I was able to trust her with my vision, and she knocked it out of the park. There are a couple of pages in there that just really resonate with me. There’s one in particular where the main dog character, Sutton, feels really sad about herself, and she’s imagining what she would look like if she were to fit in better with her family. That just tugs on me every time I see it.

Sawyer did such a fantastic job matching the illustrations to the story and elevating it more than I could have on my own.

RVC: What was the most important lesson that you learned about picture books during the process from acceptance to almost publication?

KW:

The process is quite long. Gosh, I want to say from the time I got accepted to where I finally had my contract signed, it was at least six months. And, of course, this was during the height of the pandemic, so it was a little bit longer than what most people would expect.

Another surprising thing is that you have to be really proactive in this process to make sure all the trains are moving along, and that you’re getting the support that you need– through the editing process and leading up to publication. My book isn’t out yet, but I’m really excited to see what’s going to happen with it.

RVC: What was the most important contribution or change that happened as a result of the editorial feedback process from your publisher?

KW: Oh, that’s another tough question. There’s some dialogue between the main character and her dog family that was tweaked. Ultimately, I was able to help ensure that the main character, Sutton, takes ownership in the decisions she makes, rather than having the “adults” around her telling her what to do. I thought it was important for any young reader to see that there are decisions you can make that will ultimately be better, and you don’t always have to listen to others around you.

Prior to finding an editor and a publisher, I would say a big change that happened was the color of the dogs. In the original version, the family was mostly white to kind of mirror my own family on my mom’s side. As I got further along in the editing process, I realized that was centering whiteness more than I wanted it to. We were able to kind of revamp that a bit and change them to the yellow/blond coats instead.

RVC: As part of your process, it sounds as if you partnered with other people to promote each other and support each other. Do you want to talk a little bit about your group?

KW: I’m actually in several support groups. I think that’s something that every writer needs to get involved in. It’s amazing what you can do with like-minded people who all ultimately have the same goal.

RVC: But you’re specifically in a debut group, too. [Spoiler: Ryan’s in the same group, so he knows the answer to this one!]

KW: With you and a few dozen others, yes, I’m in PB22Peekaboo. With a debut group like this, you match up with anybody who has a book coming out in the same year as you and you basically act as a support network. You review each other’s titles, promo one another’s work on social media, work on panels together and speak at book fairs, and sometimes workshop new manuscripts, too. It really runs the gambit.

I really like the group that I’m in now.

RVC: So do I!

KW: I’ve been in a couple of other supportive groups that are more affinity oriented. Those are the ones that really helped me get my start in the kidlit community until I found my footing. I’m forever grateful for those as well.

RVC: Brag time. What do you have coming out next?

KW: I have something new happening in the world of kidlit. I can’t announce it yet but I’m really excited for what’s in the works. It’s going to be a STEM-oriented biography.

In the world of service journalism, I constantly have pieces running every week. You can always find that information here. I also have a newsletter that occasionally goes out that might have some of those updates.

RVC: What advice do you have for aspiring kidlit writers?

KW:

It’s important to remember–especially for anybody looking to break into kidlit–to always trust yourself. NEVER doubt yourself. I ran into this a lot on submission because my book was one of the #ownvoices stories. There were a lot of editors and publishers that my story didn’t resonate with. I took that personally, because it felt like I was putting something really vulnerable on the page, and people were telling me that there’s no place for it in the world.

I want everybody to know there is a place for your story. There is a place for representation–you just have to push through it and keep going. If anybody is actively trying to keep you out of this space, especially if they’re trying to stop or ban you, there are ways that you can combat that by reporting into national agencies, seeking news coverage on banned books, and of course, running for local office or for school boards to ensure literature is protected in our school systems.

RVC: Here’s the last question for this part of the interview. You’ve got a clear commitment to diversity. In fact, one of your presentations is on how to ensure diversity in journalism. How does that translate into the world of kidlit?

KW: It definitely starts with the industry itself, which means hiring more Black, Indigenous and people of color in the publishing industry, and actually buying books by BIPOC creators who feature stories about BIPOC characters as well, which isn’t always the case. If you look at the research, there tend to be less stories about us by us. So, that’s something that we have to really work on for telling our own stories from a diverse lens. I think it’s best to do it authentically and to tell stories that you know. And also read work by other people around you who have different experiences from your own so you can open your mind to something new. It can really help you creatively to get a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t, and see if there’s a place for the story that you want to tell on the shelves.

RVC: Thanks for that. But now it’s time for the SPEED ROUND. Silly fast answers followed by zoomy answers, please. Are you ready?

KW: Sure?

RVC: If you could only have one app on your phone, it would be…

KW: A calendar app.

RVC: If animals could talk which animal would have the most interesting things to say?

KW: Sharks.

RVC: What outdated slang do you use on a regular basis?

KW: Cool.

RVC: What animal do you think should be renamed?

KW: The platypus, but I don’t know what the new name should be.

RVC: Five things you can’t do your work without.

KW: Pen. Paper. Highlighter. A couple of reference texts that I like to use. And sunlight.

RVC: Some Kaitlyn wisdom in seven words or less.

KW: I’m not unique, but we’re ALL special.

RVC: Thanks so much, Kaitlyn! This was a real treat.

Picture Book Review: Sunflower Sisters by Monika Singh Gangotra

On May 2, 2022May 2, 2022 By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Reviews

Sunflower Sisters

Author: Monika Singh Gangotra
Illustrator: Michaela Dias-Hayes

Owlet Press
6 July 2021
28 pages

This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (Owner/Operator of Only Picture Books) and freelance illustrator Edna Cabcabin Moran.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

Right from the start, Monika Singh Gangotra’s picture book Sunflower Sisters leans into its primary topic–colorism (favoring light skin over dark skin). It’s not something often addressed in picture books, which is why I was so interested in reviewing this book.

Skin color comes up in the first scene because a pair of friends, Amrita and Kiki, each have older siblings who are getting married (not to each other). They’re playing outside, but as soon as the guests arrive, Amrita’s Aunty tells them to go inside because it’d be a bad idea to get a tan right before the weddings. It’s subtle, but that’s the first nod toward lighter being better than dark (from her perspective).

Once the children are in the house, Jas–Amrita’s sister and soon-to-be-bride of Shahid–is wearing cream to “make my skin look fair and bright.” Mom isn’t having that. She wipes it off and assure her daughter that she’s beautiful as is.

During bathtime, Amrita’s mom talks with her about a number of old wives tales, such as avoiding tea because it might make her skin lighter. “That’s ridiculous,” Amrita says with the wisdom of a child. And her mom agrees, assuring her–and the reader–that everyone’s skin is perfect regardless of its color. Light, dark, or any shade at all, it’s “EXACTLY as it is meant to be.”

Amrita’s Aunty clearly has outdated beliefs and customs. In addition to having given Jas the skin-lightening cream, she’s urging Amrita not to wear yellow because its brightness will only make her skin look darker. With the support of her mother–who doesn’t share the same beliefs as Aunty–Amrita wears yellow to her sister’s wedding.

As chance would have it, Kiki’s family is celebrating their own wedding on the other side of the street at the exact same time. Amrita notices Kiki is wearing bright colors, too. “Sunflower sisters!” they shout, promising to make each other feel like sunflowers every day. The final wordless images show a flash forward to the two kids owning their own clothing store and making runway-worthy sunflowery clothes.

A single page of back matter addresses the idea of colorism in a clear, helpful manner that’s suitable for young readers.

The best lines in the entire book happen when Amrita gets ready for for some before-bed tea after her bath, and Dondi says, “Yes you really are beautiful like the leaves in autumn. Do you know people travel from miles around to see the browns and golds of the changing leaves? It’s a marvel, just like you.” That’s lovely and empowering. Clearly not all adults are as locked into old ideas and traditions as is Aunty.

For those wanting more of a plot, they might find the book wanting since both children don’t have a lot of agency. The conflict here is ideological, but not one Amrita really faces firsthand since she is fully supported by Mom in every instance. While that’s a terrific thing in life, it’s less useful to include always-there, always-supportive adults in picture books since most readers want to see kids solve (or at least try to solve) their own problems. Also, there are a lot of characters here–two named neighbors, two kids, parents, other adults, wedding guests, etc., plus Amrita is also called “Beta,” so it’s possible independent readers might get confused, though the pictures might help them through those moments.

But make no mistake–the topic of colorism is book-worthy. In an interview about Sunflower Sisters, the author explained her motivation behind the book and how she grew up with the underlying fear that if she became darker skinned, she’d be unworthy of love and unable to obtain success. “I was advised when attending social South Asian events that certain colours, such as yellow, would make my skin look darker and that I should probably choose another colour, no matter how much joy wearing it would bring me. These comments made by loved ones and strangers alike were not malicious. The comments and guidance were always well meaning and not intended to hurt us. They were done so because they thought they were protecting us and helping us live a life full of opportunity – ones that we would simply not be offered if our skin was darker.” To see the rest of the interview, check it out at My Book Corner.

In sum, the book has two weddings (fun!), two cool kids (fun!), and lots of terrific artwork (fun!). Plus, the story deals with a little-talked-about topic in an appropriate, empowering way. Those things alone merit consideration for this book being added to your To-Read list.

3.75 out of 5 pencils

–Edna’s Review of the Illustrations–

The picture book, Sunflower Sisters, is bedecked in vibrant colors emanating from collage-infused, stylized illustrations. Artist Michaela Dias-Hayes creates charming characters set in stage-like scenes in a tale of beauty standards and friendship told by Monika Singh Gangotra. But there is more to Dias-Hayes’ use of buoyant, fun colors. Before color is even mentioned in the story, Dias-Hayes suggests yellow as something beyond artistic element or device. I’d venture to say that Dias-Hayes uses yellow as a character itself in the story.

In the opening scene, we see clusters of yellow sunflowers along the sides of the house and near the front entrance–an homage to the title of the book. Subtle yellow paint textures the house that serves as a backdrop for strings of yellow and white lights. The house’s triangular features on the upper level is painted golden yellow. It occupies the center of the page like an arrow pointing up to the sky, perhaps alluding toward higher ideals.

We are brought in a bit closer to characters on the opposite page which depicts Amrita, the main character, hugging her visiting aunt who advises that Amrita come in “out of the sun.” They are framed by splashes of yellow from sunflowers, Kiki’s dress, and a multitude of stringed bulbs dangling down from the house and along Amrita’s dad’s shoulders.

Then yellow is used sparingly–quieted down–in subsequent page spreads as Amrita receives both direct and subtle messages regarding dark skin tone versus whiteness–misleading, negative notions from older female relatives. On a shopping excursion, Amrita expresses her preference for dressing in yellow “like the sunflowers” and several aunties are depicted gasping with disapproval on a page devoid of the color yellow. “YELLOW?” they say, “With YOUR complexion?”

The story switches to a positive direction when Amrita’s Mom brings out a yellow “lehenga” outfit from her girlhood and gives it to Amrita to wear. Dias-Hayes takes the color yellow into high gear transporting Amrita and her mom to a field of sunflowers–a jubilant page filled with golden yellows.

In contrast with its earlier single page scenes, the remainder of the book is comprised of scenes spanning the length of each spread–from Amrita’s sister’s wedding and the neighbors’ wedding scenes to the final fashion catwalk scene. All are resplendent in subtle touches of yellow glowing in the background while foreground colors host bright, bold yellow markers directing our eyes around the spread.

My only critique of Dias-Haye’s illustrations is the uneven anatomical features and character proportions. There is a look and feel of characters being created separately and pasted into place like paper dolls. But these are minor details in the scheme of things. Dias-Hayes has a strong design sensibility with a charming style. Through her expert use of color we are treated to a world that is bright and fun, bouncing with energy, while also grounded in a compelling color story filled with hope and gravitas.

4.5 out of 5 crayons

Edna Cabcabin Moran is an author/illustrator, multi-disciplined artist, educator, and advocate for youth voices and diversity in publishing. She is also a dancer with acclaimed hālau hula and dance company, Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu, and a teaching artist specializing in STEAM and integrative arts. She has served on several nonprofit committees including We Need Diverse Books and Alternative in Action’s Project Youthview: The Power of Youth in Film.

A Filipina-American born to immigrants and raised in a military family, Edna grew up in the USA’s east and west coasts, Iceland, and Hawai’i. She resides in the SF Bay Area where she’s written and/or illustrated for children’s literature and poetry anthologies. Her latest picture book title, Honu and Moa (BeachHouse Publishing), received an 2019 Aesop Accolade from the American Folklore Society.

https://kidlitedna.com

IG & Twitter: @kidlitedna

Agent Interview: Natalie Lakosil (Irene Goodman Literary Agency)

On April 25, 2022April 25, 2022 By Only Picture BooksIn Agent Interviews4 Comments

Natalie Lakosil is an agent at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency. An honors graduate of the University of San Diego, California, Natalie holds a B.A. in Literature/Writing. For over a dozen years, she has championed and helped build the careers of numerous award-winning, critically acclaimed, and bestselling authors. Natalie represents adult nonfiction, adult cozy mystery/crime, female-driven thrillers, upmarket women’s/general fiction, illustrators, and all ages (picture book, chapter book, MG, YA) of children’s literature, both fiction and nonfiction.

In terms of her agenting needs, Natalie is especially looking for:

BIPOC and underrepresented voices where identity isn’t the focus
projects with intersectionality

She’s also a “total cat person, unicorn lover, fierce female, and mother of two tiny humans.” She also admits that for a good decade, she was terrified of going back in time and screwing up her life. “I literally documented my schedule and everything I needed to do so that if my adult self ever went back in time and went into my own kid body, I’d be able to pick right up and not screw up my grades.”

Now that we’ve got a good sense of who Natalie is, let’s get to that interview and find out more about what she does!

RVC: When you were a kid, what was your relationship to reading and writing?

NL: Oh, great question. While I always wanted to be a writer, I didn’t love writing until middle school. That might because I got Cs in spelling and grammar throughout elementary school–I was really bad at capitalizing words and spelling. Because I started reading so much in middle school, I did a 180 and writing became my strongest subject.

Love came first. Perfecting and honing the skills came second.

RVC: I love the idea of turning a weakness into a strength. What books proved important in fostering that love for reading and writing?

NL: My go-to is Ella Enchanted, though when I really started reading a ton, I was into Meg Cabot and Tamora Pierce. That’s when I fell in love with the age level I handle now as an agent. Then I moved on to romance novels.

Teresa Medeiros, Jude Deveraux, Nora Roberts, Julia Quinn–all those greats inspired me to want to do it myself, but also to help others. I wanted to represent them and help their careers, too. I still have the books that I loved the most (except for library books–checked out one a day!) so here’s a glimpse at that shelf.

RVC: What was the career goal you had when you went to UCSD to study literature and writing?

NL: I’m one of those really weird agents because I started writing at such a young age. My mom got me Jeff Herman’s annual Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents when I was thirteen and that’s how I found out what a literary agent was. I was like, “That! I want to do that!” So, I went into UCSD with this five-year plan. I was going to graduate, move to New York, then work at an editing house–maybe even work as a copy editor for a bit, to get my feet wet and build my connections–and then I was going to become an agent and write a lot, as well.

Obviously, my five-year plan didn’t happen. I got an internship in college at an agency. Once I actually start working in the industry, I didn’t want to be a writer anymore. I just found I couldn’t get past my own head. I’d be critiquing my own ideas and I’d say, “Oh, my goodness, I don’t know that I’d be able to do everything that writers do.” I shifted completely away from writing myself.

RVC: Is that internship what led you to your first “real” job in a literary agency? That was with Sandra Dijkstra, right?

NL: Yes. I interned there for a couple years, and then I interned at a newspaper, where I quickly found out that journalism writing wasn’t for me!

When I graduated, I thought I was going to go to grad school and get my PhD in English. I got rejected everywhere. Then I reached out to the agency where I interned and asked, “Got any openings?” They did. I got really, really lucky.

RVC: At the agency, were you working on kidlit from the start?

NL: Oh, I never thought I was going to go into handling children’s books at all. I thought I was only going to do romance novels. That’s what I was reading. That’s all I wanted to do. I liked women’s fiction, historical fiction, romance novels. When I eventually made my way up to being an agent, I was told that I was now the children’s agent at the agency. I said “Okay!” and I figured it out.

Through trial and error, I actually found I was pretty good in this space. Before long, I fell totally in love with children’s books. I just kept pushing my way into all the different genres, and I now represent everything within the children’s area. Today, it’s almost all of my list. I’m trying right now to break into more adult nonfiction, but I don’t take on romance novels at all anymore (only from existing clients).

RVC: This change to kidlit as a focus–was that still at the first agency, were you at Bradford by then?

NL: It was the first agency. The Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.

RVC: What was the first picture book you got to work on?

NL: It was by a client who’s still with me–Roseanne Greenfield. And to this day, I’m still trying to sell that first picture book. I’ve gone on to sell seven other books for her, but the first one we worked on together didn’t sell. It was a lyrical nonfiction texts about bioluminescence, and I still think it’s going to sell. I love it so much!

RVC: It sounds pretty cool to me, too.

NL: Roseanne helped ease me into things because she’d been previously represented by the Andrea Brown Agency–she was a talent. And she’d already published several books before we worked together. So, I actually grew a lot with her.

RVC: What are some of the lessons you learned by agenting children’s books?

NL: What I learned over the years was that you’re going to suck at it for a little bit. You have to push past that, the “I don’t know what I’m doing, and nothing is selling–why is nothing selling…WHY?” because you’re kind of figuring out your own path.

Obviously, I didn’t NOT sell anything, but I have a much stronger sell-through rate now. Back then, I was still building connections. I learned that you have to stay flexible as an agent. Don’t be afraid to branch into something new, even though it’s going to take work. You’re going to have to do a lot of research. You’re going to have to talk to colleagues. You’re going to have a lot of trial and error and not be perfect in your style and process. That could all take years, but it’s worth it in the end. You just have to push past that learning curve.

RVC: Is it REALLY that different working at different agencies?

NL: In terms of perspectives and ideas, yes, there’s absolutely a difference at each place. And agencies absolutely are and should be thinking about different voices in the room and opening space for new agents and underrepresented voices. But it’s also an apprenticeship model, so usually the hope is that an intern or an assistant will stay and build into an agent.

As for moving around, career-wise, I’ve grown, so I’ve had different needs. I needed a lot of support and handholding when I was new, versus now, I just need more administrative support. Moving agencies is kind of just you growing in your career. As an agent, you have to reevaluate where you’re at. Is it offering what you know you need? If you have a conversation with the team and it’s just not the right fit, you sometimes have to move.

RVC: I’ve had those same conversations with college and universities, too. I’m at my seventh one now, though I’ve been here for 13 years.

NL: I don’t know if this is still the case today, but that’s how it was back then. The idea was that you can’t be friends with other agents–they’re your competition. My next agency was the complete opposite of that. They were more, “Let’s talk about stuff, and be friends with people.” I even ended up joining a book club with other agents, including ones from other agencies. We all came to each other with what we’re facing, what was going on, and we just bounced things off of each other. I grew so quickly that way because we were all at varying levels. Collaboration is so important to growing. Everybody does things a little bit different as an agent. Every agent is going to have their own style. Even today, I do a lot of mentoring.

I’m still learning things about how different agencies operate. And I know it’s okay not to have all the answers. As long as you’ve got a support system, you’ll be fine. There’s room for all of us. We’re going to sell books, even if we have tastes that overlap. We’re making sure we’re all working in a good way which helps the industry too because editors get overwhelmed. That’s partially because some newer agents don’t have anybody to talk to. “Should I do this? Or should I do this?” they wonder. That creates problems in the pipeline for everybody.

RVC: Why is the Irene Goodman Literary Agency your forever home?

NL: The structure. The way this agency is set up, there’s no reason for me to ever leave. It’s very much like owning my own agency and running a business, yet I have the resources of an incredibly successful team with me. And compensation-wise, it’s all about long-term growth, which fits where I’m at. I feel like I have the best of both worlds here.

RVC: What is the hardest part about being a literary agent?

NL: The emotional roller coaster of the industry. I get rejection daily. I pour my heart and soul into projects that don’t sell. I fall in love with projects that I don’t get to work on. I get horrible news when a book is cancelled, or something bad happens and something’s in jeopardy for an author or client. There are so many things that shift daily that you have to practice self care a lot so you can manage the ups and downs.

It’s commission work, too. Not everybody works on commission, but at least for me, it means there are ups and down throughout the year. You could have a fantastic first quarter that makes your year, then maybe nothing comes in for the next couple months and you’re questioning, “Am I ever going to sell a book again?” because you’re seeing other agents doing amazing things. And you’re thinking like, “Oh, should I be doing that?” There’s a lot of comparison going on. It’s like the Facebook thing, a lot of people shouting about all their amazing things. But they don’t share the hardships, and we all experience hardships.

RVC: It’s so refreshing how honest you are on all of this. In fact, I’m going to take advantage of that and ask you a question I don’t ask people in these interviews. Brace yourself!

Whenever I talk to other writers, most of them complain about their agents at some level. What would be the thing your clients might complain about you? It’s a terrible thing to ask, I fully realize, but I’m so interested in your thoughts here.

NL: Honestly, I hope there’s nothing. I try my best. I have end-of-the-year calls where I review with everybody to make sure we’re aligned vision-wise and career-wise, and we have clear goals for the next year. I always ask, “Is there anything else that I could be doing better for you or more for you?” I’m not afraid of hearing from my clients or having to adjust to a client’s needs.

I was a little behind in reading because I got COVID, so I didn’t work for two weeks, which set me back like two months.

RV: Sorry to hear that!

NL: It was frustrating. But I dug out!

Specific to picture book writers, because they are so prolific, it can be really frustrating for them when we have to talk about how many things we can submit at a time or how often. I’m very strategic about what we try to sell. I’m not just throwing everything out there. We’re carefully building careers.

With a debut author, I find that they want to do everything even after they sell that first book. They ask, “What else can I do? What more can I do?” It’s because the mindset hasn’t shifted yet from “I need to sell, I need to get on submission, I need to sell!” But again, we have to be strategic, and we also don’t want to damage relationships. I usually see that shift as launch approaches, and they realize, “There’s going to be so much work with editorial and launch and marketing.”

RVC: Oh yeah. That part of the process can and does take up a lot of time.

NL: I interact a lot with my clients, and they interact with each other. I have a ton of client resources on a client portal at my website where I literally just downloaded all of my years of information and workshop materials for them. I’m always available for calls and I check in a lot. Communication is pretty important to me. I need that and I need honesty from them so I can be a fierce advocate.

RVC: Let’s talk about how all that support and those client resources have translated into successes. What’s a favorite client success story?

NL: It’s a hard question. Do I have to pick just one?

RVC: We don’t have to call it your #1 favorite–just one of your many favorites. We don’t anyone to feel snubbed, right?

NL: There are different kinds of successes. When I worked with Tiffany Jackson for six years, seeing her rise from debut to bestselling author and watching her talent be recognized was just so wonderful. Though there’s immediate successes, too, where you sell an author’s debut for six figures plus, and then they continue to rise from there.

RVC: Both of those sure sound like the definition of success to me!

NL: I think there’s a a fallacy in the industry to say that success is based on one thing, because I have authors that aren’t bestsellers, but they’re consistently selling well, and they’re consistently publishing new books. To me, that’s successful. That’s a very successful career.

RVC: I agree completely. Now, some writers get writer’s block. Do you ever get agents block?

NL: Yes. With the ups and downs of working for yourself, you have to push yourself to do stuff. And there are times when I’m in a rut, you know, where I’m just not finding anything that sounds great to me. I’d like to sign someone, but nothing is really hitting it.

There are those lulls in the industry too such as right after Thanksgiving where the whole industry is wondering, “Are we on vacation yet?” That’s a challenging time because you just kind of want to be with friends and family. The rest of the industry also does, but there’s still a ton of work to do for everybody.

RVC: What do you think of the state of kidlit right now?

NL: It’s in a really exciting place. With picture books, we’re having a renaissance. Lots of picture books are selling for more than they ever did before. I’m loving the conversations that we’re all having together about how we work, what kinds of things we work on, who we’re working with in the process of the above, and really questioning everything. We need to make sure we’re not just doing things because it’s how it’s always been done. And, finally, we’re opening the door and recognizing the need for voices as diverse as the rest of the country. It can be challenging to navigate sometimes, but I’m not afraid of that challenge.

RVC: Brag time, what’s a project or two that you’re really excited about?

NL: I have a middle grade novel that releases in May called Freddie vs. the Family Curse. It’s so cute and fun. Everyone who reads it is just falls in love with the humor and the characters; it has two starred reviews already. I’m really, really excited to see that one hit the market.

I also have a debut YA coming up, called The Loophole that’s coming out in June. It’s got one of those memorable voices and while it’s fun and funny, it also just tugs at your heart and gives you all the feels. I can’t wait for people for the world to read it.

I also have a new novel from the talented Katie Henry coming soon, Gideon Green in Black and White. It’s already got some starred reviews; her writing is sharp and funny and delightful and this new one has a mystery noir edge I think readers will love. And I have to mention Juliana Brandt’s next MG page-turner Monsters in the Mist. She tackles really tough subjects through genre metaphor, and her writing is incredible. This one explores grief and processing trauma through a haunted island (which is also just a spooky and creepy ghost story!).

RVC: Any picture book bragging?

NL: Oh, gosh, I have a lot of picture books in the works. In June, The Notebook Keeper: A Story of Kindness from the Border comes out. I read it and I wanted to cry–we sold it immediately. It’s so moving and beautiful. It’s going to affect a lot of people.

I have another picture book coming out in May that also made me want to cry. It’s called The Little House of Hope. It’s got an English and Spanish version and it’s about this house that becomes a refuge for all sorts of people coming into the country and how over the years, people come in and out as they find their footing. It’s always a place where people can safely go.

RVC: Okay, Natalie, we’re moving into the the lightning round. Fast Qs and faster As. Are you prepared?

NL: I guess?

RV: We’ll soon find out. HERE WE GO! If animals could talk, what animal would be the most annoying?

NL: Birds.

RVC: If the answer is “unicorn,” what’s the question?

NL: “What’s your soul animal?”

RVC: How do you organize your books?

NL: My client books, alphabetically. The books I read, by the order I read them in.

RVC: If I looked at your workspace, what are some of the things I’d see?

NL: A ton of books everywhere. I have a huge floor to ceiling shelving of all my client titles. And hopefully you notice all the plants in the room. I’m very big on plants. I have an enormous sign that says Carpe Diem and crystals everywhere. Hopefully it all looks organized and clean, too.

RVC: What’s a recent picture book that came out that really caught your attention?

NL: I have a four-year-old and a seven-year-old so I’m constantly buying picture books. A few recents: Perfectly Pegasus by Jessie Sima, Itty-Bitty Kitty Corn by Shannon Hale, Take a Breath by Sujean Rim, The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson.

RVC: What’s your agenting philosophy in six words or fewer?

NL: Transparency, honesty, strategy, passion, client satisfaction, and collaboration.

RVC: Thanks so much, Natalie. This was terrific!

Educational Activities: The Struggle Bus by Julie Koon

On April 18, 2022April 18, 2022 By Only Picture BooksIn Educational Activities

The Struggle Bus
Authors: Julie Koon
Illustrator: Julie Koon
8 March 2022
Kind World Publishing
36 pages

Book description from Goodreads: “Sometimes things are really tough. It’s just too hard, you’ve had enough. Grumble, rumble, bump, and roar, The Struggle Bus is at your door. Strap in and hold on tight! Through all the ups and downs, you have what it takes to do hard things.

Rolling, rollicking rhymes take readers on a journey of perseverance, where challenges are faced and mountains are climbed.”

Need some reviews of Struggle Bus?

Educational Activities inspired by Julie Koon’s The Struggle Bus:

Before Reading–From looking at the front and back cover:
- Where and when do you think this story takes place?
- What do you think this story will be about?
- What is the child doing on the front cover?
- What emotion is being felt by that child?
- If that child spoke, what do you think would be said?
- How do you think this story will end?
- From looking at this cover, what other books does this remind you of?
After Reading–Now that you’ve read the story:
- How did you feel when the child stepped about the struggle bus?
- Did the struggle bus look like you imagined it would?
- How did you react to the repeating line “grumble, rumble, bump and roar”?
  - Did you notice that the last word in that repeated line changed a number of times?
- How surprised were you when the struggle bus SOARED?
- Which picture/scene did you like the most? Why?
- What was the most interesting part of the back matter?
Writing–Think about a time where you rode your own struggle bus. What struggles were you facing? What were you feeling? How did things change for you? Write about that time in whatever way you choose–a poem, a story, a rant, song, or something else! Use pencils, crayons, or markers to add pictures or decorate it, if you want. Consider sharing your writing with an adult and explaining your creative choices.
Playing–With a couple of friends or family members, play “Simon Says Feelings.” For example, say: “Simon says…look mad!” Feel free to discuss those feelings or ask questions about them between rounds or after the game is over.
Crafting–Making crafts is a fantastic way to explore, share, and engage with your feelings. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Emotion Faces–These conversation starters are easy to make.
- Emotion Masks–A little more involved than some of the other crafts, but it’s not too challenging for kids to create.
- Emotion Painting–This is designed for a classroom teacher, but it’s easily adapted to a family setting, as well.
- Emotions Wheel–This printable craft has three different version that range in levels of complexity.
- Feeling Spinner–This paper plate craft can help young people identify and talk about emotions.
Further Reading–Enjoy a few more picture books about feelings. Which of these have you already read? Which of the others would you want to read first? (Click on any book cover for more information on these titles!)